There exists various designs of feeders, some of which are moveable to allow livestock to reach through the feeder from a roaming area to a supply of feed, such as a stack on the opposite side of the feeder. Such a feeder otherwise prevents cattle and the like from trampling and dirtying the feed. This type of feeder is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,920, Apr. 24, 1962, Hibbert. More elaborate types of such feeders, which are used to separate a feed area from the area occupied by the cattle while allowing the cattle to progressively feed through the feed from a pile of feed on the opposite side of the feeder, are sometimes motorized to allow the feeder to be moved relative to the feed area, the feeder thereby being movable towards the feed during feeding and/or being retractable from the feed area when it is to be refilled. Examples of such feeders are shown in a number of patents to Weelink, including U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,430, Oct. 8, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,673, Apr. 19, 1994; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,172, Jul. 18, 1995.
A now commonly used practice of making and storing feed, such as silage, involves packing cut forage into an elongated tubular plastic bag extending along the ground surface. The most common practice of feeding cattle and the like from the bag is to remove the forage from an open end of the bag with a front end loader and deposit the silage in a feed area, feed trough, or conveyor associated with a feed system for the livestock. Alternatively, the loader may dump the silage in a feed wagon which is drawn to a feed area of the livestock or the loader may simply dump the feed on the ground for the livestock. In order to reduce handling costs, an end of the bay may be opened, and the livestock are simply allowed access to the silage at the open end. This latter approach results in considerable wastage and unclean eating conditions as the loose feed is trampled and covered with manure. Furthermore, the area becomes difficult to maintain as the loose exposed plastic of the bag separates from the feed and is trampled by the livestock or blown about.